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Should We Be Judgmental? For the Answer, We Must Look to Christ's Example

ChezC3

ChezC3

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It is happening more and more frequently. As our cultural narrative becomes increasingly secular, Christians are consistently painted as bigots, discriminatory and judgmental. In response to a recent article I wrote asking for dialogue about same-sex “marriage,” I was called a “self-righteous bigot only pretending to want dialogue” (though the majority of people were gracious and civil). These accusations cannot help but sting, but are they just? Can we speak out about issues such as homosexual marriage, abortion and the like without being hateful and judgmental of those who participate in these acts?


Part of the conflict we may feel over expressing our Christian views publicly centers around a misunderstanding of the meaning of the word judgment. Judging is not necessarily good or bad. Properly defined, to judge means to form an opinion or conclusion about something. The distinction between making a necessary judgment and “being judgmental” is found in whether the judgment is directed at a person or at an action or situation.

In one of the better known passages of the Bible, Christ says “Stop judging, that you may not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). He goes on to teach us that we should not be hypocrites by pointing out the splinter in other people’s eyes before we remove the beam from our own.

Similarly, Pope Francis made international headlines when he tried to draw a distinction between someone who identifies as gay and someone who leads a gay lobby. Regarding a person who identifies as gay, Pope Francis is quoted as saying, “A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will — well, who am I to judge him?” Note that Pope Francis did not say that homosexual acts are not sinful. Like Christ, he was talking about the judgment of a person – in this case, a person of good will who is seeking God.

The New American Bible commentary on Christ’s command to “Stop judging” says the following, “This is not a prohibition against recognizing the faults of others, which would be hardly compatible with Mt 7:5, but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one’s own faults.” (Matthew 7:5 says that we can help remove our neighbor’s splinter after taking the beam out of our own eye). In other words, it is not a contradiction to avoid passing judgment on a person while still recognizing that there are things that are objectively sinful and outside of natural law and God’s Divine Plan.
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Should We Be Judgmental? | ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome

Learn the difference.
 
The people who say you should not judge others are the most judgemental people you will ever meet.
 
In a nation with religious freedom, I don't think you get to put the word "objectively" in front of any religious idea. Things are sinful to you and your faith, not to others and their faiths. That means it's not objective.
 
Paschendale said:
In a nation with religious freedom, I don't think you get to put the word "objectively" in front of any religious idea. Things are sinful to you and your faith, not to others and their faiths. That means it's not objective.
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Nonsense, you just past judgement on his post! Really?
 
Not to seem too awful cliché here but, "Judge the sin not the sinner." I believe/know we are called upon as Christians to use Christ-like wisdom and discernment to identify those acts which are obviously sinful and thus hinder our faith walk or that separate us from God's will acting in our lives.
 
ChezC3 said:
Should We Be Judgmental? | ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome

Learn the difference.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that the famous saying of "Judge not lest ye be judged" is totally misunderstood and misrepresented.

I found this out when going to Court (and all the Court officials know this) in that guilty people do not want to be judged while innocent or not guilty people actually invite or even want to be judged. That is why the Court Judge and Prosecutors and even Court Clerks can see a guilty person from a not guilty person just by their attitude about facing a trial.

If we look at those Bible words in this context then it is saying that if we want to be judged then we must do our own judging = If we do not judge then we will miss out of the judging.

My understanding is that the words of the Bible always cuts two ways as like a two edged sword, in that to "Judge not lest ye be judged" is both a warning and an invitation, so that those who want the truth are wanting to be judged, and those who do not want to be judged are the ones who do not want righteousness.

As like in this = Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Per John 7:24

Plus I believe that everyone understands that being "judgmental" is a different thing than healthy and rightful judging.

And there is another point about anyone who tells us NOT to judge, in that the human brain functions by judging everyone and judging everything, so that it is factually impossible to turn off the judging from our mind or mentality, because making judgments is a normal human body function.
 
Gringo allstar said:
The people who say you should not judge others are the most judgemental people you will ever meet.
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and self-righteous, don't forget self-righteous....
 
Paschendale said:
In a nation with religious freedom, I don't think you get to put the word "objectively" in front of any religious idea. Things are sinful to you and your faith, not to others and their faiths. That means it's not objective.
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This would then deny certain truths, and the nature of sin.
 
Bob Blaylock said:
And the one who judge most unrighteous. Don't we dare judge those who overtly promote evil; but they'll damn us for standing against evil.
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and we will know the tree by its fruit...
 
FluffyNinja said:
Not to seem too awful cliché here but, "Judge the sin not the sinner." I believe/know we are called upon as Christians to use Christ-like wisdom and discernment to identify those acts which are obviously sinful and thus hinder our faith walk or that separate us from God's will acting in our lives.
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The ego manifests a defensive posture because it doesn't like being told "No".

Nowhere in the Bible does it say not to differentiate behavior, to not instruct your brother, to not point out sin and wrong doing to those who perpetrate it. Quite the opposite, but by cherry picking and misinterpretation those who'd go against God's Word seek justification by using this argument. Not knowing (and probably not caring) how wrong they are.
 
JP Cusick said:
My understanding is that the famous saying of "Judge not lest ye be judged" is totally misunderstood and misrepresented.

I found this out when going to Court (and all the Court officials know this) in that guilty people do not want to be judged while innocent or not guilty people actually invite or even want to be judged. That is why the Court Judge and Prosecutors and even Court Clerks can see a guilty person from a not guilty person just by their attitude about facing a trial.

If we look at those Bible words in this context then it is saying that if we want to be judged then we must do our own judging = If we do not judge then we will miss out of the judging.

My understanding is that the words of the Bible always cuts two ways as like a two edged sword, in that to "Judge not lest ye be judged" is both a warning and an invitation, so that those who want the truth are wanting to be judged, and those who do not want to be judged are the ones who do not want righteousness.

As like in this = Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Per John 7:24

Plus I believe that everyone understands that being "judgmental" is a different thing than healthy and rightful judging.

And there is another point about anyone who tells us NOT to judge, in that the human brain functions by judging everyone and judging everything, so that it is factually impossible to turn off the judging from our mind or mentality, because making judgments is a normal human body function.
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an interesting take, thanks for sharing.

whatever words they use, they're essentially saying shut up and mind your own business. Not knowing or caring that their actions do affect us in ways they can't possibly understand thereby making it our business.
 
There are at least two forms of judgement. One, looking down the nose at another. But, the more prescient judgement is the one aimed at oneself and how one is conduct themselves. If one were to make no judgement regarding right and wrong, how is one to follow the law? What path to follow? How could we achieve heaven?

The bible shows many cases of forgiveness, but at least two interesting cases where forgiveness is risky. The first is the obvious case of Sodom and Gomorrah, where society is warned, as a whole, not to tolerate sexual corruption. But, Jesus forgave the adulterer, so what are we to take from it? Not to condemn the individual, but not to be too permissive either?

I think America struck a good balance, until recently. Most sexual corruption (prostitution, adultery, gay behavior, etc.) was treated rather mildly. With enough stigma to discourage those behaviors, but not so severe to condemn the participants. Exactly as Jesus would have it? But, recently things have changed. Liberals twist Jesus forgiveness beyond its intended purpose.

The second example is on the cross. Everyone remembers the forgiven criminal, but few mention the unforgiven.

Jesus recommendation to forgive is broad, but it is not a blank-check.
 
Respecthelect said:
Jesus recommendation to forgive is broad, but it is not a blank-check.
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That could be true if you stick to that particular word, but the Bible tells us that there are many other things that are to go along with "forgiveness" which make up for any loss soul which thereby completes the "blank-check" which does apply to every person.

Other words that need to be added onto forgiving is to love thy enemy, and be merciful, unconditional love, salvation, because it is not just a matter of forgiving those who believe, as it is a matter of saving those who reject and rebel and those who are the very worse of sinners.

See reference link here Luke 6:32-36, and another here Matthew 5:38-48.

Every person throughout humanity gets forgiven.
 
CLAX1911 said:
I say leave judgement to judges.
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I know a lot of people do that but it is a cop-out and shirking your duty and really it is extreme depravity.

It is giving an unwholesome homage and even idolatry to human judges which no human merits.
 
ChezC3 said:
Should We Be Judgmental? | ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome

Learn the difference.
Click to expand...

As our cultural narrative becomes increasingly secular, Christians are consistently painted as bigots, discriminatory and judgmental. In response to a recent article I wrote asking for dialogue about same-sex “marriage,” I was called a “self-righteous bigot only pretending to want dialogue” (though the majority of people were gracious and civil).
Click to expand...

The author should learn the difference between "consistently" and "rarely", since he seems to think getting mixed reactions means that he was "consistently painted as bigots, discriminatory and judgmental"
 
The Bible – Is it Wrong to Judge? « The Righter Report

Here's two scriptures from the New Testament some people may not be aware of:

The Saints of Christ will judge the world, and angels:

I Corinthians 6:2: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”

I Corinthians 6:3: “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”

And then there's this:

Should no one ever be rebuked?

Jesus rebukes the teachers of the law and the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:27-28: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

John the Baptist rebukes King Herod for adultery and other sins:

Luke 3:19: “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.”

Stephen rebukes the Jewish leaders:

Acts 7:51-53: “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him – you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

God uses people to warn others to turn from their sin:

“When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.” – Ezekiel 33

Also note all the Old Testament prophets who condemned sin and corrupt moral leadership, and who were persecuted for their discernment and duty.

Finally, when someone accuses you of being judgmental, are they themselves not being critical and judgmental in making that accusation?

But stay quiet, and evil will abound:

“The only thing required for evil to triumph is for good men to (say and) do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
 
CLAX1911 said:
What?
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That is because the human brain functions by making judgments and it would be completely impossible to stop our brain from doing judgments.

As such to say as you did that you leave "judgments to judges" means that you are degrading our own human capacity to make judgments for our self, while giving some superiority over to other people who simply happen to have some man-made credentials.

I realize that it is a dysfunction which happens all throughout humanity so it is not just your self, but it is still wrong even if everyone does it.

I myself was too raised and educated (brain washed) to put trust into our authority figures, and it was quite a shock to myself when I first learned that the police and Courts and Judges and virtually every human authority is deficient and corrupt in so many ways that our trust is not secure.

We (and I) still are subject to the laws and to their prosecutions and to the world's powerful rulers and therefore we simply must continue to hope and pray for them, but it remains wrong to give away our own judgments to them or to anyone.

It is our own job in this life to make our own judgments and to act upon our own judgments, and that authority belongs to no other person outside of our self.

That is what I mean by what I said.
 
JP Cusick said:
That is because the human brain functions by making judgments and it would be completely impossible to stop our brain from doing judgments.

As such to say as you did that you leave "judgments to judges" means that you are degrading our own human capacity to make judgments for our self, while giving some superiority over to other people who simply happen to have some man-made credentials.

I realize that it is a dysfunction which happens all throughout humanity so it is not just your self, but it is still wrong even if everyone does it.

I myself was too raised and educated (brain washed) to put trust into our authority figures, and it was quite a shock to myself when I first learned that the police and Courts and Judges and virtually every human authority is deficient and corrupt in so many ways that our trust is not secure.

We (and I) still are subject to the laws and to their prosecutions and to the world's powerful rulers and therefore we simply must continue to hope and pray for them, but it remains wrong to give away our own judgments to them or to anyone.

It is our own job in this life to make our own judgments and to act upon our own judgments, and that authority belongs to no other person outside of our self.

That is what I mean by what I said.
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blah blah blah degrading yourself blah blah blah.

You are a one trick pony
 
sangha said:
The author should learn the difference between "consistently" and "rarely", since he seems to think getting mixed reactions means that he was "consistently painted as bigots, discriminatory and judgmental"
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Actually, the two aren't at odds. I'll give an example;

You are rarely right when you post, but you consistently post.

See?

:2razz:
 
Paschendale said:
In a nation with religious freedom, I don't think you get to put the word "objectively" in front of any religious idea. Things are sinful to you and your faith, not to others and their faiths. That means it's not objective.
Click to expand...

The Christian claim (and Islamic, Jewish is a little more complicated), is that if something is a sin, it's UNIVERSALLY a sin, and objectively a sin.

So either it's a sin objectively, or it's not a sin at all, (that doesn't mean christianity or Islam believes everyone will be judged for their sins, but it's still sin objectively).
 
Respecthelect said:
The bible shows many cases of forgiveness, but at least two interesting cases where forgiveness is risky. The first is the obvious case of Sodom and Gomorrah, where society is warned, as a whole, not to tolerate sexual corruption. But, Jesus forgave the adulterer, so what are we to take from it? Not to condemn the individual, but not to be too permissive either?
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1. Ezekiel 16:49 - I'd watch myself if I were you about Sodom and Gomorrah, one of the reasons (according to Ezekiel the main reason) for the destruction of Sodom was not homosexual behavior, but social injustice.

2. Jesus didn't forgive the adulterer, you're quoting John 7:53-8:11 .... which is taken out of most bibles, because turns out it wasn't in the origional Version of John, it was a much much later addition, when I say much later I mean 5th Century later, there are various earlier Complete versinos of John without that story, which is why scholars relegate that to the same area they relevate the short and long endings of mark.
 
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